


The Vow

by nanifairy (ktwrites1530)



Category: iKON (Korea Band)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Weddings, cheesiness level is maximum
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:42:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21882457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ktwrites1530/pseuds/nanifairy
Summary: Jinhwan and Jiwon get their vows ready for their big day.
Relationships: Kim Jinhwan/Kim Jiwon | Bobby
Comments: 5
Kudos: 20





	1. Jiwon

Jiwon stared at the blank sheet of paper in front of him on the hotel desk. He should've done this earlier—they had set the date for this event six months ago, didn't they?—but there were a lot of things to say and he didn’t know how to say them. 

This would've been solved if Jinhwan had also agreed to get married the day after he had proposed, but Jinhwan insisted on January 11th, the day they first met, six full months after his proposal.  _ It's just a date, Kim Jinhwan! It shouldn't matter. What matters is the after the wedding date,  _ Jiwon remembered arguing with his fiancé when Jinhwan revealed the date. He wanted to marry Jinhwan ASAP, call him his husband, his life partner, and start their journey for the rest of their lives together. 

But Jinhwan wasn't like him. He wasn't the leap before looking kind of a person. His fiancé liked plans, liked being  _ sure _ . Jiwon was also certain that Jinhwan was waiting for him to run away and change his mind because this was  **_marriage_ ** and not just a spa date that they were talking about. He knew Jinhwan thought the proposal was done on a whim, but it wasn't; he had the damn ring with him ever since they celebrated their first anniversary, and that was two years ago. 

Jiwon was sure—surer than anything in his life—but he knew Jinhwan wasn't ready then. 

So here they were, six months later, on the eve of their wedding day. He was holed up in his hotel room, so many words in his head but nothing on the paper in front of him. 

**_SOS. SEND HELP_ ** . 

Within five minutes, a barrage of knocks threatened to bring down his door, and when it flew open, Donghyuk and Chanwoo were there, a bucket of kimchi fried chicken, soda, and pizza in tow. 

“Where the hell did you get all that food?” Jiwon asked as the two entered his rm, making themselves at home on his bed. 

“We ordered for dinner, and it came just in time when you messaged,” Donghyuk said, happily chomping on his chicken. “So, still nothing?” he asked, eyeing the blank sheet of paper on Jiwon's desk. 

Jiwon let out a frustrated sigh. “You'd think with the amount of love I have for the man I would’ve filled up so many sheets of paper, but I am coming up empty,” he said, flopping onto the bed and helping himself out with the pizza. “Can I just say: ‘I love you so much, and I look forward to the life we would have, pretty sure it's going to be great’ and call it a vow?” he continued in between munches. 

“Where is the promise in that?” Chanwoo replied, rolling his eyes. “In those measly words, where is the promise?” 

“They have templates for vows, you know? The usual I promise to honor you, till death do us part, as long as we both shall live, etcetera, etcetera.” Jiwon brandished his hands in the air as he said the last two words. 

“Yes, hyung, they do, and sure, they are there so that people won't forget the most important things, but c'mon, hyung! You can do better!” Donghyuk urged, and Jiwon pouted. 

“But what do I say?” Jiwon whined. “Aigoo, I am sure this is easy for Jinani.” 

Chanwoo chuckled, taking a gulp from one of the soda cans. “I don't think so. I saw Hanbin hyung enter his room. So, you're not alone.” 

“And he gets the best writer in the group to help him...” Jiwon said with a groan. “And I get you guys!" 

Donghyuk stood up, nudging Chanwoo. “Let's go and leave this man to figure out his own vows. That, or he crawls and asks help from Junhoe-ya, who is also a good writer, by the way,” he added with an exaggerated wink. 

Jiwon stood up in a hurry, blocking their way out of his room. “Ya, don't leave me!” 

“Then stop insulting us!” Donghyuk said, hands on his hips and a big frown on his handsome face, bringing out Dongtoppi. 

“Fine, fine.  _ Mianhae, _ ” Jiwon said, brushing the crumbs on his hands with his pajamas and sitting again in front of the desk. 

“Okay, let’s start with what do you like about Jinhwan hyung. Maybe you can get leads from that,” Donghyuk said, and Jiwon tapped his pen on the desk, looking thoughtful. Donghyuk gave a quick nod towards Chanwoo’s direction, who gave a nod back. Jiwon saw that exchange, but didn’t ask what it was for, as he was still thinking for an answer to Donghyuk’s question. 

“I like that he is patient, not just with me but with everyone. He helps us out in any way that he can, even if it means leaving nothing for himself. I  _ love  _ that he listens—he’s a damn good listener—and that he doesn’t shut down any of my ideas or downplay them as dumb or stupid. He encourages me in what I wanted to do, and he believes in me? The blind faith that he has in me, I don’t think I have ever seen it from anyone apart from my parents,” Jiwon started off. With each sentence, the smile on his face grew a little bit wider. 

The words started to come out easily, because enumerating the reasons why he loves the man he was about to marry was as easy as breathing. “He is generous, almost to a fault, because people see that and they take advantage of him. He adores his mom and his sister, and works hard to meets his father’s high standards.” Jiwon paused, taking a deep breath. “He’s so sexy when he dances, and so cute when he scrunches his nose when he smiles. I sometimes wonder how sometimes someone can be equal parts sexy and cute at the same time?” 

His smile was now a full-blown grin, and his eyes were bright, as if he was imagining Jinhwan smiling at him. 

Jiwon sighed, shaking his head. “How is all this going to help me with my vows?” 

“Shut up,” Donghyuk said, with a smirk. “Now, tell me… what is it that you  _ don’t  _ like about Jinhwan hyung?” 

“How is  _ that _ going to help me with my vows?!” Jiwon repeated, and Donghyuk hit him on the head, making Jiwon yelp. “Ya, Kim Donghyuk!” Jiwon shouted, and Chanwoo chuckled. 

“Just answer him, hyung,” Chanwoo chimed in. “What do you dislike with your husband-to-be?” 

“Hmm,” Jiwon said, thoughtful. “I don’t like it that Jinani hyung shuts me down sometimes, that I have to play the guessing game in order to figure out what I did wrong. He is goddamn passive aggressive, and he is moody as hell sometimes. I hate it how he puts himself last, always, and forgets that he has needs, too. That he needs to shine, too,” Jiwon said, a deep frown now replacing his grin. 

A beat passed, and Donghyuk thought there was nothing else anymore when Jiwon suddenly exclaimed. 

“And oh! I hate it how he is a damn good flirt, you know? He gets his ways with me, because he knows… he knows it works.” Jiwon smirked, remembering all the times when Jinhwan had managed to fizzle out his anger just by his mere flirting. The other two men nodded, because they were victims, too, of Jinhwan’s flirting. They knew that if anything, flirting was one of Jinhwan’s superpowers. 

“I also don’t like it that he’s my weakness because who likes having a weakness?” Jiwon asked, and the two boys in front of him shrugged, as if to say  _ not me _ , and Jiwon plowed on. “But dammit, I love it how makes me feel powerful and strong, like I could do anything, because he would always be there for me, even when I didn’t know I need him.” 

Jiwon exhaled loudly. “Okay, now what?” 

“That’s it? That’s all you don’t like about Jinhwan hyung?” Chanwoo probed, and Jiwon sought for answers on the ceiling. “That he eats all the pepperoni in my pizzas and that he loves sushi, because I don’t like the way they smell,” Jiwon added with a smug smile. 

“Alright,” Chanwoo said, also now looking thoughtful. “Now tell us about the moment that you knew you loved Jinhwan hyung, and that moment that you were going to marry him.” 

“Really?” Jiwon said, his cheeks suddenly reddening, as if he had already placed himself in such a vulnerable place with two of his closest best friends. He was baring himself to these men, and yet there were still zero words on his vow for tomorrow. 

“Yes, hyung. Really,” Donghyuk said, his voice gentle. “Come on, Bobby hyung. Humor us.” 

Jiwon sighed, feeling like these two were just getting potential blackmail material—stuff they would tease him with later. But he gave in, because he was thinking maybe it would help him with his vows. “I didn’t realize at first that I was falling for him? I just knew that whenever I was having a bad day, I would always go to his room. Jinhwan’s room was a safe place.  _ He _ was a safe place. If I need a breather or anything, he was that person. The moment it hit me…” Jiwon’s voice trailed, as he shook his head, a ghost of a smile on his face. “It hit me when I started getting mad at Junhoe for some reason. I was annoyed with that dude, and he wasn’t doing anything to me. Later I realized—”

“I made you realize,” Donghyuk interjected, and Jiwon rolled his eyes. 

“Yes, you made me realize that I was getting annoyed of Junhoe because he was getting too close to Jinhwan hyung. Jinhwan hyung was always in his room, they always go out, they jive… you know? And it was confusing at first, because why the fuck was I being possessive and jealous?” Jiwon said, and he threw his hands in the air, as if defeated. “And then one day, Junhoe was heading to Jinhwan hyung’s room and… they were laughing, and I could hear them through the walls. I… I realized I wanted to be the person who makes him laugh like that.” 

“Jesus,” Jiwon said, letting out a shaky laugh. He didn’t realize a tear had escaped the confines of his eyes, and that this was making him more emotional than expected. When he looked up, he was met with encouraging smiles from Donghyuk and Chanwoo, and took a couple of deep breaths before continuing. 

“I realized I couldn’t live without him and that I wanted to marry him… during the  _ Love and Fall  _ release,” Jiwon continued. “I was ecstatic that I was releasing a solo album—and he helped me out a lot with that—but then when I only got to promote it once on a music show and nothing else… I was down and…” Jiwon swallowed the lump in his throat. “It was a rough time for all of us given our situation at that time, but he knew I took it harder because of  _ LAF _ , that all of those hard work was just for that one promo. He woke me up one morning and he took me to the rooftop of the building. He prepared all my favorite food and he was playing my songs on his phone, and we just sat there, eating and… just being there. And then he held my hand and he told me that he was sorry that it happened that way and that I deserved better.” 

A bittersweet smile played on Jiwon’s lips. “He said the world deserves to hear my music, and one day, maybe I would get to hear the world singing to my songs. The whole world singing back to me, whatever I sing to them. But he hoped at that moment, he would be enough first, even if he was just one voice singing back the songs,” Jiwon said, and the memory of that day replayed in his mind. 

_ Jinhwan released his hand and stood up, fishing for a guitar that he had hidden behind the seats. He sat across Jiwon and started to play  _ Swim _ , Jinhwan’s own version, catching his breath with the raps and doing some adlibs, his smooth, comforting tones soothing Jiwon’s wounds. And then he started to sing a crack version of  _ In Love  _ mashed with  _ Tendae _ , and a semi-rock version of  _ Alien _ , and Jiwon was laughing so hard he had tears in his eyes.  _

“Jinhwan hyung was doing all he could to make me laugh, even at his own expense,” Jiwon said aloud, shaking his head. “And then he was laughing at himself, too, and at that moment, he looked so beautiful, that big smile on his face and tears in his eyes, the love that he had for me to study all of those guitar sheets and to think of ways to crack me up…. He would do anything for me, and at that time, I knew I would do anything for him, too. I was going to marry this person.” 

A clap from Donghyuk made Jiwon jump a bit, and the two men exchanged glances. Chanwoo threw Jiwon’s phone back to him, one that he didn’t realize Chanwoo had taken and that Chanwoo was also recording him. “Listen to that, hyung,” Chanwoo said. “All the stuff you need for your vows, right there. The things you love about him, and the promises that you will make.” 

“The promises are where?” Jiwon asked, clueless, as he stared at the thirty-minute recording on his phone.  _ He had been talking about Jinhwan for that long?  _ he thought. 

“The things you don’t like, hyung. You have to make them into promises,” Donghyuk hinted. “Like…  _ I promise not to let you hide in your shell  _ or something. To encourage him the way he encourages you.” Donghyuk winked. 

And then it dawned unto him. 

Jiwon raised his pen to the paper, pressing play on the recording, listening to himself ramble on about Jinhwan, ready to write his vows. 


	2. Jinhwan

“Why do people have to marry when everything else is going fine? I am fine staying how we were.” 

Hanbin watched a pacing Jinhwan as he went back and forth the length of his hotel room. On the bedside table were sheets of paper with scrawls and writings that were re-written and erased so many times that the paper has torn. His hair was harried, like he had pulled at them while he was frustrated—or whatever other state he was in now. 

“Are you getting cold feet that’s why you’re talking like this?” Hanbin asked Jinhwan, which made Jinhwan stop, flashing him an annoyed look. “No, I am not. I am here, aren’t I? I just don’t… understand it. Jiwonie and I are fine. We are happy. Then  _ bam!  _ He wants to get married. I don’t get it.” 

“And then I have to do vows.  _ VOWS,  _ Kim Hanbin. Have you ever seen me write before? That’s yours, Junhoe’s, and Jiwon’s turf. I don’t write,” Jinhwan continued his tirade, flopping onto the bed next to Hanbin and crossing his arms over his chest. 

Hanbin grinned, because he had always found a pouting Jinhwan cute. He turned serious immediately when Jinhwan glared at him, and he placed a hand on Jinhwan’s shoulder. “Hyung, you love Bobby hyung, right?” he asked Jinhwan calmly. 

“Of course, I do!” Jinhwan replied, almost affronted that he was being asked this question. “Why else would I agree to getting married even if it is strange to me?” 

“Why, hyung? It’s the ultimate commitment. The promise you make to someone that you are here, through whatever it is and through no matter what, as long as you both shall live,” Hanbin countered. “Besides, it also has practical reasons, like getting cheaper tax rates.” 

Jinhwan rolled his eyes at Hanbin, who has a bemused expression on his face. “I  _ am  _ committed to Jiwon. Wasn’t the past how many years of our lives proof enough?” 

“Hyung, he loves you. Like a whole lot. He just wants to make it… official, I guess?” 

Jinhwan harrumphed, and Hanbin made his hyung face him. “Look, are you this pissed because Jiwon requested for personal vows in your ceremony and you don’t like that? Because you’re still wearing the ring he proposed to you with, and I didn’t see you complain about anything when you guys were prepping for the wedding. I’ve only seen you this mad just now, when you finally have to face the fact that you have to write your wedding vows.” 

Jinhwan buried his face in his hands, a sign of his defeat. His best friend knows him well. “I don’t know what to say. I love him, and I would be there at the ceremony tomorrow. I am going to promise to spend my life with him and sign on the dotted line. Isn’t that enough? Why do we need to say a lot of other things? I am committing to him. I am his; he is mine. Forever.” 

Hanbin sighed, patting Jinhwan on the back. “Because words are powerful, hyung. And sometimes, you just need to hear it. Didn’t you tell me you feel like something is missing in a day whenever you forget to tell Bobby hyung that you love him?” 

When Jinhwan emerged from his hands, he rewarded Hanbin with a smack on the head. His cheeks were flushed, embarrassed, because when he told Hanbin that, it didn’t sound cheesy at all. But hearing his best friend repeat it, Jinhwan sounded like the most smitten guy in the universe. 

“Jeez,” Hanbin said, rubbing the spot that Jinhwan hit. He took a slow, steady breath and grabbed the sheets of papers and pen from the bedside table. “Instead of bickering with me, why don’t we start your vows?” 

“Where do we begin?” Jinhwan said with a groan. This was it – he must face what he was dreading.  _ Why is it so hard to say the things that should be easy to say?  _

“Who is Jiwon to you?” Hanbin said, which almost made the older guy spit the wine he was drinking. 

“Really, that’s where we’re starting?” 

“Come on, hyung! We don’t have all day!” Hanbin whined. 

Jinhwan settled on the bed and leaned his head against the headboard and looked up at the ceiling in the same way that Jiwon had searched for inspiration in his own hotel room. “He’s… my Jiwon,” Jinhwan said, as if it’s a widely-known fact this Kim Jiwon born on 21 st December was his and his alone. “He’s my rock and my light,” Jinhwan said with a soft sigh. 

Jinhwan dropped his gaze from the ceiling and looked at Hanbin. “You of all people know how I turn dark,” he said, and Hanbin nodded slowly in agreement. He, too, had tried to pull Jinhwan out of those dark phases before. “I… get these phases when I feel like I am not enough for anyone or anything, those days when I feel like the world is just against me. And Jiwon… he knows how to handle me through those. He doesn’t tell me to get my ass moving and to stop ‘acting.’ He knows I’m in my dark place and he stands at the far end of it, holding a bright light so that I can find my way back.” 

Jinhwan cast his eyes this time on his ring, a simple, platinum band that Jiwon had given him when he had proposed. “Jiwon settles me, Hanbin-ah,” he continued, smiling at the irony of his words. “I mean, he doesn’t keep still because he’s such a big ball of energy sometimes and it is  _ exhausting  _ on some days—” he rolled his eyes at this, but there was a small smile on his face—“but he settles me. He has this positivity in him that nothing or no one can put down, you know? He has a way of looking at things…” 

Hanbin was scribbling on the papers in his lap, writing down keywords from the things that Jinhwan was saying, hoping in some way making Jinhwan talk about his fiancé would help him craft his vows. “The one thing that you don’t like about Bobby hyung but you would never ask him to change with himself?” Hanbin asked, and a thoughtful look cast on Jinhwan’s face. 

“Apart from him being too much of everything sometimes?” 

“Too much of everything?” 

“Yeah,” Jinhwan said easily. “Too loud, too energetic, too lazy, too noisy…” And then he chuckled. “We’re opposites, no? Me and Jiwon. I am marrying a guy who has a personality that’s opposite of mine.” 

Hanbin grinned. “The too lazy part, I think with that one you’re a match,” he teased, and Jinhwan kicked him in retaliation, making Hanbin laugh. 

“Kidding aside, I don’t like that he almost always has his rose-colored glasses on. Sometimes I want to knock him down a peg just to bring him back to the reality, that  _ this is what’s happening, not all people are nice,  _ but then again—as I said, that’s the one thing that I also like about him. We balance each other out in that way. Yin and yang,” Jinhwan continued. He smiled at the last part, proud of himself for thinking of that analogy, and Hanbin knew that it would probably end up being used in Jinhwan’s wedding vows. 

And then Jinhwan grinned a mischievous grin, saying, “He’s also too hot, too charismatic. He doesn’t think of himself in that way, but my god, he is. I am pretty sure he doesn’t know what kind of an effect he has on people? He knows the effect on  _ me _ , but to others… he downplays it. He’s in women’s—and maybe sometimes also men’s—fantasies and he deadass doesn’t even want to acknowledge that.”

“He’s always on the list of the hottest idols, c’mon!” Hanbin said, and Jinhwan exclaimed, making Hanbin jump a bit, “ _ Exactly! _ ”

“Hyung, I am just curious,” Hanbin said, as Jinhwan took another sip of his wine. “I’ve always known the point when Bobby hyung fell for you, but I never saw yours. Everyone in the group knew it was Bobby hyung who fell first, but your side… it’s a bit unclear.” 

Surprised, Jinhwan said, “You guys knew?! How come I didn’t?” 

Hanbin shook his head, smiling. “Hyung, there was a point when Bobby hyung was being super obvious about how he felt towards you, but you were just dense.” 

Jinhwan shrugged, sighing. “I just didn’t think he would like me.” 

“Anyone would like you, hyung,” came Hanbin’s easy reply, and Jinhwan’s eyes flashed towards his direction. “It’s okay, we’re over that,” Hanbin assured him with an equally easy smile, and Jinhwan watched him for a couple of seconds, trying to get a read of his best friend. 

“So… when did you fall for him?” Hanbin said, his tone still light, with no trace of pain on his face, making Jinhwan relax. “From what I heard from Bobby hyung, it was you who asked him to be his boyfriend. That would’ve been a huge turning point—because he was the one who was chasing after you. We didn’t expect that it was you who would make it official.” 

“There wasn’t a big turning point,” Jinhwan said, amused. “Jiwon had always been there, and then suddenly he became more vocal about liking me. At first, I let him be. We always pick on each other, so initially I thought he was playing me. But then it went on for months…” Jinhwan’s voice trailed. “I guess he grew on me? At the time when he started the chase, he built a routine for me and him. He wakes me up with breakfast even if I’m not a morning person, and that went on for a few weeks. There would be days when I would kick him out but that didn’t faze him,” Jinhwan said, shaking his head, a small smile on his face. 

“There was this one morning, he came barging into my room with bagels and coffee. And I didn’t get mad, because I was already looking forward to having those breakfasts with him. I realized I liked waking up and seeing him first thing, and hearing his stories—he has a lot? Even if we were together the day before for work. So, I asked him right there and then,” Jinhwan said, finishing with a chuckle. “Right there and then, he planted a big fat smooch on my cheek.” 

And then Jinhwan sighed, taking a deep breath, as if there was another revelation coming up. He was smiling widely, happy tears dancing in his eyes, threatening to fall but he didn’t mind. “I can’t live without him, Hanbin-ah. I am living  _ for  _ him.” 

After another deep breath, he reached out for the sheets of paper from Hanbin. “I’m ready to write my vows now,” he declared. 


	3. The Wedding

Jinhwan found himself at the hotel pool, trying to look for some peace and quiet. It was almost midnight and he was a bit buzzed from the wine, but happy to have finished a vow that he would be proud to read in front of twenty of his and Jiwon’s family and closest friends, and most especially, to Jiwon. 

It was the day before his life would change, the start of a new chapter in his life. 

Jinhwan used to think getting married nowadays didn’t mean anything anymore, having known couples who have promised to spend the rest of their lives with someone and only end up divorcing a few years later. And he himself didn’t think anyone would  _ want  _ to marry him—he knew that it takes someone very patient to understand all his whims and quirks. 

But Jiwon came. 

He sighed, staring at the pool water and shaking his head. Jinhwan’s lips cracked a small smile as he recalled a memory of him and Jiwon in the swimming pool, racing against and chasing each other until they were both tired, and ending it with a make-out session and some hanky-panky. He liked being playful with Jiwon more than with anyone else. 

A chuckle interrupted his thoughts, and when he looked up, he saw Jiwon, walking towards him with a big grin on his face. Panicked, he stood up from where he was sitting at the pool’s edge, dripping water when he did. “What are you doing here?! Isn’t it bad luck to see the bride before the wedding?” he asked, which made Jiwon laugh. 

Jiwon reached him, pressing his lips on the top of Jinhwan’s head, and then another tender one on Jinhwan’s cheeks. “Pretty sure neither of us are brides for tomorrow, so we’re safe,” Jiwon replied. “I needed a bit of air, so I went for a walk. Found myself here.” He sat on the pool’s edge, almost at the same spot where Jinhwan had left, and patted the space next to him. 

With a sigh, Jinhwan sat back down, leaning his head on Jiwon’s shoulder. Jiwon then reached for his hand, looping his fingers with Jinhwan’s, giving his a slight squeeze. 

Jinhwan liked this. He liked the ease and comfort he has with Jiwon. 

“Why are you here?” Jinhwan asked after a few seconds of silence, and he felt Jiwon take a deep breath. 

“I finished my vows,” Jiwon said softly. “I am so ready to marry you.” 

Jinhwan tugged at Jiwon’s hand, and the younger guy dropped his head a bit to take a peek at Jinhwan’s face. “You can still run away,” Jinhwan whispered. “You still have roughly ten hours.” 

Jiwon frowned, and he arranged the two of them so that they would face each other. “Not a chance, my love,” he said. “Do  _ you  _ want to run away?” 

“No,” Jinhwan said quickly. “Never.” 

Jiwon leaned in, giving Jinhwan a quick peck on the lips. “Then stop talking about running away. We’re doing this. We’re going to get married, maybe have kids—” he paused, trying to study Jinhwan’s face for a few seconds because this was uncharted territory for them, “—or dogs or cats, or it could just be the two of us, if that’s what you want…?” 

Jinhwan sighed, a soft smile on his face. He held Jiwon’s face in between his hands, and looked at him eye-to-eye. “I’d love to start a family with you, Kim Jiwon.” 

A huge wave of relief flooded Jiwon’s face, and he chuckled. “Whoo,” he said, exhaling loudly, “okay, that’s settled.” 

Jinhwan smirked, pinching Jiwon’s cheeks and releasing him. “What would you have done if I said I didn’t want kids?!” 

Jiwon shrugged. “Well, I’d be sad about it, because I want to have kids. I’d ask if you’re deadset not to have them or if it’s negotiable, or something that you would tell me you would think about,” he replied. “But Jinani, a life with you is the life that I would always choose. Besides, marriage is all about compromise. If you don’t want kids, then maybe I can finally get that bulldog that I wanted to get.” 

“Ya, I told you if you want a dog, it shouldn’t be a bulldog!” Jinhwan said, fake angry, and Jiwon laughed. 

“Yeah, that’s where the compromise comes in,” Jiwon teased, and Jinhwan rolled his eyes. Then they fell silent, eyes on the water, as absently, they let their feet tread the water. 

“I love you, you know that, right?” Jinhwan whispered, and Jiwon nodded. 

“I feel it every day, even on days when you’re irritated with me,” Jiwon replied, his tone gentle. Jinhwan replied with a thrifty smile, puckering his lips towards Jiwon, and Jiwon rewarded him with a soft kiss. 

“And I love you, too,” Jiwon whispered against his lips. “Now, let’s go. I’ll drop you off at your room, so you can get some rest. I don’t want you whining tomorrow that you look bloated or you didn’t get enough beauty sleep.” 

Jinhwan pouted, but nevertheless allowed Jiwon to pull him up to stand. Hand in hand, they walked back to their hotel rooms, excited for the upcoming day. 

*******

Jiwon and Jinhwan stood at the opposite ends of the hallway leading to the aisle, both looking handsome in their crisp suits. The boutonnières pined to their suits were made up of a single orange rose in the middle of purple heliotropes and white and purple myrtles—orange rose for desire and enthusiasm, heliotropes for eternal love, and myrtles for good luck in love and marriage. 

Their eyes met, and almost immediately, their nervous smiles turned into easy grins, eyes bright and shining as they gazed at each other. 

This was it. 

The first few notes of their chosen wedding hymn started to play, and Jinhwan took a step forward, and Jiwon followed suit. With each step, their grins grew wider, until they reached each other. Jiwon offered his arm to Jinhwan, who looped his arm with his partner’s. Jinhwan gave Jiwon’s arm a squeeze, widening his eyes at the younger guy, as if still in slight disbelief that they were here,  _ they made it _ . 

And then, Jiwon’s voice floated in the background—

_ You never know how I feel, baby / When you kiss me, you drivin’ me crazy / Oh, you make my life complete... oh yes you do... _

The doors to the small hall where they were going to get married opened, revealing a room that held the most important people in their lives: their iKON members, each of their families, their managers, and a few select friends. All of them turned to look at them, excitement on their faces, as Jinhwan and Jiwon walked down the aisle together, one slow step at a time, as Jiwon continued to croon  _ In Love  _ in the background.

When they reached the seats where their families were, they stopped. Jiwon presented Jinhwan to his family, and his mom almost jumped at Jinhwan, making everyone in the hall laugh as she engulfed him in one of the biggest hugs Jinhwan has ever gotten. 

“You’ve done a good job taking care of my son so far, and I know you will continue to do so for the rest of your lives. Thank you, Jinani, for loving our son,” she whispered, tears brimming in her eyes, and Jinhwan bit his lower lip to stop himself from becoming a crying mess even before the ceremonies start. 

“Thank you for letting me love him,” Jinhwan said, his voice shaking, and Jiwon’s mom pulled back. She laughed when the first of her tears fell, saying: “My god, we haven’t even started!” Jinhwan offered her his handkerchief to wipe her tears, and then was engulfed by Jiwon’s dad in a bear hug. There weren’t any words exchanged, but Jiwon’s dad gave Jinhwan a couple of pats on the back before passing him back to his son. 

And then at the other side of the aisle, Jinhwan presented Jiwon to his family. His noona, Seiyeon, was the first one to greet Jiwon and she hugged him, saying, “Who knew it would be you? Are you sure?” 

“ _ Noona! _ ” Jinhwan exclaimed, the ones near Jinhwan’s family’s seats laughed. 

“Scared he would change his mind?” Seiyeon asked, and Jinhwan just rolled his eyes. Jiwon released Seiyeon, giving her a slight bow. “I won’t change my mind,” he said with a thrifty smile, and then he turned to Jinhwan’s mother, who gave Jiwon a buss on the cheek and then hugged him. “Thank you, Jiwon-ah, for choosing our son always,” she whispered to Jiwon, and Jiwon shook his head, releasing Jinhwan’s mom. 

“I’m equally lucky he chooses me every day,” Jiwon replied, and then he was greeted rather formally next by Jinhwan’s father, who offered a handshake instead of a hug. Jiwon didn’t take it against Jinhwan’s dad—Jinhwan had told him before that his father wasn’t big on gestures of affection—and instead made sure his handshake was firm but not too tight. 

And then he turned to Jinhwan, offering his hand, and Jinhwan took it, as they walked to the front of the hall, where the officiating judge was waiting. 

Jinhwan and Jiwon stood in front, glancing at the roomful of the people they hold closest to their hearts. Jinhwan caught Hanbin’s eye who gave him a wink, and Jiwon got encouraging nods from Chanwoo and Donghyuk. Junhoe had disappeared somewhere else, most likely to prepare for the congratulatory song that he would be singing later. And then, uncustomarily late this time, Yunhyeong slid next to Hanbin in the seats, some icing on his cheek, and they knew he had finished decorating the cake that he had volunteered to make for this day. Hanbin wiped the icing off with the sleeve of his suit, and they all settled when the judge cleared her throat. 

“Welcome everyone and thank you for coming to celebrate a happy transition that is happening in Kim Jiwon and Kim Jinhwan’s lives, as they embark on this wonderful journey together,” the judge started, giving the couple a warm smile. “Everyone can be seated except for the lovely couple here.” 

There was a lot of shuffling, and when everything fell silent again, the judge spoke. “Please face each other and take each other’s hands,” she said, her voice firm, and Jiwon saw Jinhwan let out a long exhale, as if to calm himself. So when he reached for Jinhwan’s hands and held them in his, he gave Jinhwan’s hands a comforting squeeze, which made Jinhwan smile a bit. 

Jinhwan returned it with a soft squeeze of his own, and then gazed into Jiwon’s eyes, as the judge spoke again. “These are the hands of your best friend, strong and full of love for you, holding yours on your wedding day as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow, and forever. These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, and with the slightest touch will comfort you like no other.” 

Jinhwan scrunched his nose at Jiwon, whose lips tugged upwards in a smile. “These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it, support and encouragement to pursue your dreams, and comfort in difficult times. And lastly, these are the hands that even years from now will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just one touch,” the judge continued. 

With another clear of her throat, she turned to Jiwon. “Now, I believe the couple has prepared their vows for each other for this day?” she said. “If you must, Jiwon.” 

Jiwon gave Jinhwan’s hands another squeeze before releasing them, and then let out a nervous chuckle as he pulled out a folded but crumpled piece of paper from the inside of his suit. “You know,” he said, addressing the crowd, “this was my idea, and as soon as I tried to start writing the vows, I thought it was a stupid one, because it was hard to think of the right words to say.” 

Jiwon cleared his throat, once, twice, and then let out a loud sound that was between a yell and a growl, to release the nervousness and tension he was feeling. The judge had handed him the microphone, but he shook his head, because he could speak loud enough as the hall was small, and he wanted to do something else. He wanted to hold Jinhwan’s hand while speaking, to seek comfort in Jinhwan and to keep a connection with his partner. 

“I spent the better part of my growing up years with you and the boys,” Jiwon started, “and I don’t think I would’ve had it any other way. I have told you time and again that I wouldn’t still be here if it weren’t for you, and I’d say that again today. Kim Jinhwan, I would’ve left Korea when the times were becoming hard, but you stayed with me, even if we fought daily at the start and even if you didn’t like my guts.” 

Jinhwan rolled his eyes at Jiwon but didn’t break the gaze. Jiwon’s eyes twinkled as he gazed back at him, and Jinhwan wasn’t sure if it was because he was almost close to crying or if it was because he was literally radiating. “I wanted to tell you why I love you, because you would hear it from me not just today but for the rest of our lives,” Jiwon continued, and he momentarily paused to brush his lips against Jinhwan’s hand that he was holding. 

“I love you because you are selfless and generous, even if it means leaving nothing for yourself. You’re patient, and a very good listener—I can only imagine the amount of patience someone has to have to be the person that all six of us in the group run to, and even more so with Junhoe being your best friend and me as your boyfriend,” Jiwon said, pausing because Junhoe had appeared at that exact moment, a confused look on his face at the mention of his name. That earned a few scattered laughs from the people in the room, and Junhoe sat next to Chanwoo as Jiwon turned serious to continue his vows. 

“I love you, because you make me feel invincible,” Jiwon said, his voice breaking at the last word. He cleared his throat, and he felt encouraged when Jinhwan tugged at their joined hands. He gave Jiwon a wink, and Jiwon soldiered on. “Even when I am weakest, I know I would be fine because you are there. You are my rock—” 

“You can’t use that, I have that in my vow!” Jinhwan interjected, and the room erupted in laughter. 

“Shh, be quiet, it’s still my turn!!” Jiwon chided, and Jinhwan pouted instead. “Okay, so ‘rock’ is taken, how do I put who you are to me then?” Jiwon said, staring hard on his piece of paper, trying to think. He glanced at Donghyuk, seeking inspiration on his best friend’s face. Donghyuk’s face was blank but Jiwon seemed to have found something there, because he suddenly spoke. 

“Seawall,” Jiwon said slowly. “You’re that.” He glanced on his paper again, and then at the man in front of him. “You’re that sturdy wall that protects me and surrounds me, and I love you for that. I know you have your own battles to fight, and yet you still stay and fight my battles with me. And with you, I never felt that I never had to hide anything, because you allow me to be the best version of myself, and work through anything with me if I’m at my worst version.” 

“Jinani,” he said, his thumb brushing soft flesh between Jinhwan’s thumb and forefinger. He glanced at his paper one more quick time, before abandoning it altogether, crumpling it in his hand. “Today, in front of the people that we love and care for, I make you these promises. I promise to still be as honest and transparent with you as I am now. I vow to pull you up to stand whenever you’re down, to seek you and to stay with you even in the darkest of times. I promise to do everything I can so that you can find your own way to shine, too—because you, my love, are the brightest star that I have ever known, and I want the world to see that.” 

Jiwon let out a soft sigh. “I promise to stay with you even with all of your mood swings, to give you all the pepperoni in my pizzas, and to let you eat all the sushi that you want. I promise never to leave toothpastes uncapped in the home we will make, and to never make you eat any of my experimental recipes because they’re all doubtful-looking and tasting, and yet you still eat them because you love me.” A tear escaped the confines of his eyes, but he kept going, amused his voice had remained steady after the earlier crack. 

“I am swearing in front of our loved ones to continue to love you and the family that we will make, with every fiber of my being, for as long as we both shall live and beyond. I love you, Kim Jinhwan,” Jiwon finished, and he was about to lean forward to get a kiss from Jinhwan when the judge cleared her throat. 

“Not yet,” she reminded him, and a deep blush colored Jiwon’s cheeks. He scratched his head, kissing the back of Jinhwan’s hand instead, and then gave him a curt nod. 

“Your turn,” Jiwon said, and Jinhwan sighed, getting his piece of paper from the inside of his suit. 

“Kim Jiwon,” he started after a deep breath, “with the amount of bickering we had during our first few years, who knew we’d get here?” 

“I did,” a voice from the front seats interrupted, and the couple looked at Hanbin, who had his eyes wide and was covering his mouth, not realizing he actually spoke aloud. “Sorry, there’s a best friend’s speech later, right? I should just…” 

“Shut it, Hanbin-ah,” Yunhyeong said, and he motioned for Jinhwan to continue. 

Jinhwan composed himself again, and then turned to Jiwon. “We were Tom and Jerry, but like them, they couldn’t survive without each other. Even with the differences in our personalities, we fit. Like yin and yang, we balance each other out, and I think it comes with the understanding and respect that we give each other. Thank you, for not seeing me as anyone lesser, for loving me for whatever I could offer,” Jinhwan started. 

Jinhwan’s hands were shaking, and Jiwon could see that, along with Jinhwan’s other nervous tick: sweating. Jiwon knew Jinhwan’s hanky was with his mom, so he offered Jinhwan his, stepping forward to wipe the sweat that lined Jinhwan’s forehead. And then he took Jinhwan’s free hand, the one that wasn’t holding the paper, and held it in his. 

“In the years we were together, I never told you that what I admired the most about you was your spirit. You radiate a light from within you, Jiwon, that positivity, which attracts equally good things to you. I love that joy, Jiwon, and today, I promise to do whatever I can to be sure that the light that you carry will never dim, and to be there when it flickers,” Jinhwan said, giving Jiwon a soft smile. 

“Thank you for being my rock—” Jinhwan paused, giving Jiwon a fake glare, having used the word earlier—“that I could lean on. I know there are times when I shut you out without any explanation, but you wait until I am ready, to tell you what is happening to me. I think it takes a lot of patience to handle me and my mood swings, and Jiwon, you’re marrying into this, are you sure?” 

Jiwon laughed loudly, shrugging. “I am aware of that, yes,” he replied.

“I promise to tell you whenever times are difficult for me, to let you in and not shut you out,” Jinhwan said, an easy smile on his face. “I promise to watch out for you, to ensure that no one takes advantage of you, and to continue protecting you through whatever storms we would go through. I promise to love you even on your extremely high energy days, to expand my cooking menu so we have other stuff to eat apart from your kitchen experiments, and to not exploit the fact that you are weak for my flirting.” 

Jiwon’s grin was wide, eyes into lines, and his cheeks flush with color at the last statement. “I don’t mind that last bit that much, though,” he replied, and Jinhwan shushed him, a slight panicked look on his face because his mother had giggled in response. “What, I am just saying…” Jiwon said, and he left his statement unfinished when Jinhwan shot him a glare. 

And then after a deep breath, Jinhwan said, “I am excited for the life that we would have together, and I vow to love you and our future family to the best that I can.” 

Jiwon reached out to touch Jinhwan’s cheek, and Jinhwan turned his face slightly to press his lips on Jiwon’s hand. The judge stepped forward again, and giving Jiwon and Jinhwan soft smiles, and then said, “Now, the rings.” 

Raon, Jiwon’s nephew, stepped forward, carrying something in his hands that made Jinhwan’s jaw drop. “Jiwon…” Jinhwan said, eyes wide as he watched Raon toddle towards them at the front of the hall. 

“You like it?” Jiwon asked, reaching for Raon as he was close. The little boy handed Jiwon a Pokemon ball, presenting it to Jinhwan. He popped it open, and nestled inside on top of a foam were two silver rings. The inside of the ball had a small paper, with the words  _ I will always choose you _ on it. 

“It’s beautiful,” Jinhwan replied. He picked Raon up in his arms and gave the kid a buss on the cheek, and child reached out to Jiwon. Jiwon also kissed the boy on the top of his head, before letting the kid run back to his parents. 

“Jiwon, you go first. Please place Jinhwan’s ring on the tip of his ring finger, and repeat after me,” the judge said, and Jiwon did as he was told. He could still sense Jinhwan’s nervousness via the slight shaking of his hands, and he badly wanted to tug his lover towards him to hug him. 

“Jinhwan, my heart is in this ring. My love is in this ring,” Jiwon said, repeating after the judge’s words. “I promise to be your faithful husband, to love you through the best and the worst, through the difficult and easy. I promise you my unconditional love and I give you my unwavering trust. When you look at this ring, remember that I love you always.” 

Jiwon slid the ring all the way onto Jinhwan’s finger, and Jinhwan took the remaining ring in the Pokeball. Repeating after the judge, he uttered the same declaration to Jiwon, eyes never leaving his partner’s, each word earnest and sincere, as he slid the ring onto Jiwon’s finger. 

“By the powers vested in me, I now pronounce you married!” the judge announced. “You may now kiss your husband—as I believe you guys have been wanting to ever since we started.” 

Without any other word, Jiwon tugged Jinhwan towards him, wrapping him in a hug as he pressed his lips on the lips of the man who was now his husband. 

“Keep it PG!” yelled someone from the audience, and Jinhwan guessed it was Donghyuk, but he didn’t mind, holding Jiwon’s face in his hands as he kissed his husband back. 

Music started to drift in the air, and they broke apart but never completely, as Jiwon wrapped his arms around Jinhwan, settling his hands on the other guy’s waist. Jinhwan rested his hands on Jiwon’s chest, looking up at him, the ring still feeling a bit foreign on his ring finger but looking as if it was always meant to be there. 

Junhoe started to sing in the background, this time, with a song that was Jinhwan’s pick. 

_ When the rain is blowing in your face / and the whole world is on your case / I could offer you a warm embrace / To make you feel my love  _

Jiwon twirled Jinhwan in a circle, and then trapping him again in a warm embrace. Jinhwan rested his head on Jiwon’s chest as Junhoe crooned in the background, and they swayed quietly as their loved ones started to surround them. 

_ I’d go hungry, I’d go black and blue / And I’d go crawling down the avenue / No, there’s nothing that I wouldn’t do / To make you feel my love  _

Jinhwan tipped his head back, offering his lips to Jiwon, who smiled. “My husband,” Jiwon whispered, and Jinhwan closed the gap between them in the lightest of all kisses. 

“And  _ my  _ husband,” Jinhwan said, and they were about to kiss again when a flurry of flower petals and rice grains rained down on them, their families and friends showering them in it and with peals of laughter and cheers. 

_ This was it.  _

_ They’re finally married.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The scripted vows are taken here:   
> https://images.theknot.com/SecularWeddingCeremonyScript4.pdf
> 
> Song at the end sang by Junhoe is Make You Feel My Love. 
> 
> For any feelings, comments:   
> Twitter: @kecachata  
> CuriousCat: https://curiouscat.me/kecachata


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